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• Korean
  Korean

  adjective

  of or relating to Korea, its inhabitants, or their language.
• korean
  korean

  adjective

  of or relating to Korea, its people, or their language

Korean

American  

[kuh-ree-uhn, kaw-, koh-] / kəˈri ən, kɔ-, koʊ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to Korea, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of South Korea or North Korea.

2. the language of South Korea or North Korea. Kor

korean British  

/ kəˈriːən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Korea, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Korea

2. the official language of North and South Korea, considered by some scholars to be part of the Altaic family of languages

Etymology

Origin of Korean

First recorded in 1605–15; Kore(a) + -an

Compare meaning

How does korean compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Korean vs. Vietnam War

Example Sentences

Are you hoping that this movie is going to have an impact on the Korean film industry?

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

The museum will encourage young North Korean soldiers to think of foreign military operations as a path to “adventure, glory and a nice new apartment for their family,” Monday said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Korean competitor SK Hynix said in March that it had filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission to list American depositary receipts—a close cousin of depositary shares.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

South Korean boy band BTS, U.S. pop culture icon Madonna and Latin music superstar Shakira will be performing at halftime during the World Cup final July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.,

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

This time a Korean man smiled out at him.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste